The present invention relates to the field of a method for training and motivating management employees and workers to improve work place efficiency and team building by training said management employees and workers in a specific psychological method and motivational method that facilitates cooperation and building of interpersonal alliances by using skills from the more early evolved portion of the human brain. Generally, the present invention relates to a process utilizing theories of evolutionary psychology that promotes alliance building between individuals by training those individuals to utilize areas of the brain that are more evolutionarily primitive. More specifically, individuals are trained to identify and focus on skills that arise from the more primitive parts of the human brain to facilitate alliance building both within the work environment, as with peers, managers and subordinates, and external to the work environment, as with customers and suppliers, to increase work place productivity.
The use of various types of motivational devices and methods are known in the prior art. Motivational training or systems that employs psychological methods generally involves discussion of the psychological and sociological theories that underlie the method and specific training and incorporate these discussions in the precise steps necessary to employ the method itself. These motivational systems employ various specific steps to cause a desired change in an individual""s behavior toward the specific goal of the motivational system in question.
While there is a body of literature that generally relates to the present invention, none of the prior art specifically teaches or describes the method according to the present application. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,381 describes a motivation system for children which utilizes a reward system coupled with a motivational system board game designed to modify children""s behavior to achieve certain, identified goals. The motivation system board game is divided into sections to display for the child the desired behavior, the reward, in terms of tokens, to be earned for the desired behavior and the prizes that can be xe2x80x9cboughtxe2x80x9d for tokens earned. This invention is designed to be flexible enough to be used to achieve a variety of changes in a child""s behavior, and, thereby, designed to be used in a wide variety of settings. This invention describes theories of reinforcement as a tool for behavior modification when used in conjunction with the motivation system board to effect the desired change in a child""s behavior.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,396 describes the use of a board game to provide the motivational system for individuals to alter specific target behaviors, the described behaviors being related to diet and weight loss and/or weight control. The invention consists of a board game designed to be mounted on the player""s refrigerator. The game progresses over time during the player""s entire weight loss period and provides reinforcement and motivation that varies as the player moves toward the ultimate weight loss goal. The invention discusses the background theory of positive reinforcement and the other psychological theories that must be considered in a weight loss regimen. The patent also describes how the invention could be modified by a person skilled in the art to provide a behavior modification for other areas where nervous energy and frustration are involved, such as smoking cessation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,469 describes the use of a board game by therapists to train and motivate individuals, particularly juveniles, persons with attention deficit disorder and/or persons having a low level of intellectual functioning, to make positive life choices for the problems in their lives. The motivational system is designed to be played by multiple players. The players move around the designed game board along roadways that depict life choices and problems as well as positive and negative coping methods. At certain points along the game path, the player must identify positive and/or negative coping methods and choices. Such positive and negative coping methods and choices are designed to train the player to make choices in his or her life that tend to result in positive outcomes rather than negative outcomes. Again, as with the patent described above, one ordinarily skilled in the art would be able to make minor modifications in the invention to meet the needs of other populations or specific behavior modification needs for target individuals. This invention also discusses the psychological theory behind behavior modification and the success of behavior modification in dealing with certain target populations.
While the prior art dealing with training and motivational methods to alter an individual""s behavior choices are useful for their intended purposes, the prior art involving motivation systems deals behavior modification of specific life choices among a target population. The prior art does not address the psychological and/or sociological theories of evolutionary psychology and evolutionary neuroscience that underlie the present patent application. Similarly, the training and motivation method described in the present invention are completely different from descriptions found in prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method, the Thought Process Development System, for training individuals in the steps of a specific process designed to promote the use of more early evolving, popularly mislabeled as primitive, portions of the human brain, termed the xe2x80x9cmature brain,xe2x80x9d to facilitate alliance building within the work place. The method teaches individuals which interpersonal skills and tasks arise from the mature brain and which interpersonal skills and tasks arise from the more recently evolved portion of the brain, termed the xe2x80x9cnew brain.xe2x80x9d The method then teaches individuals how to use these separate areas of the brain most efficiently to build stronger, more effective alliances within the work place.
The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its structure and its operation together with the additional object and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art or arts. If any other meaning is intended, the specification will specifically state that a special meaning is being applied to a word or phrase. Likewise, the use of the words xe2x80x9cfunctionxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cmeansxe2x80x9d in the Description of Preferred Embodiments is not intended to indicate a desire to invoke the special provision of 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7112, paragraph 6 to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7112, paragraph 6, are sought to be invoked to define the invention(s), the claims will specifically state the phrases xe2x80x9cmeans forxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cstep forxe2x80x9d and a function, without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material, or act in support of the function. Even when the claims recite a xe2x80x9cmeans forxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cstep forxe2x80x9d performing a function, if they also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means of step, then the intention is not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7112, paragraph 6. Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7112, paragraph 6, are invoked to define the inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function, along with any and all known or later-developed equivalent structures, materials or acts for performing the claimed function.